This retrospective should definitely be required reading for any fans of the Scream franchise or horror movies more broadly. It is such an informative (and interesting) way to dive deep into the history behind each installment, highlighting the labor of love that went into getting each of these movies made. It also emphasizes the ways in which the franchise has enduringly altered the course of the horror genre itself.

The first film is probably my most-watched film of all time, and while much of the more infamous lore wasn't new to me (or likely won't be for any other seasoned fan), there were plenty of insightful details and an obvious breadth of research put into Cullins’ writing. I appreciate all the interviews with cast and crew, as their first hand accounts of the behind-the-scenes processes are truly invaluable and add such color to the story of Scream. It was heart-warming and lovely to learn so much about Wes Craven himself. I was also really grateful to hear from the team at Radio Silence about their work on the more recent installments. And shoutout to Dead Meat on YouTube! ❤️

My biggest gripe with this book is probably how the firing of Melissa Barrera was covered. The author barely touches on the subject and instead seems to lean into the 'official' Spyglass Media narrative surrounding claims of antisemitism, whereas Melissa was fired after speaking out about the ongoing genocide in Palestine. I also found a lot of the commentary surrounding Scream 7 to come off as a tad too self aggrandizing, almost glazing in a way, when the movie had yet to be made and is arguably the weakest piece of the Scream franchise. Understandably, I’m not sure how else 7 could have been covered, especially as Cullins is clearly such a fan of Kevin Williamson and his past work, but it did just feel a little gauche in hindsight. The team of 5 and 6 deserve a hell of a lot more credit in my view.

All in all, it was a very quick, easy read, definitely worth it for the horror lovers out there.

Scream is, after all, my favorite scary movie :}

Sometimes you just need a sapphic romcom with some magic and time travel to brighten your mood. Enter: One Last Stop.

This book was just what I needed when I needed it: a feel-good queer story to get caught up in. It was funny, it was cute, it was a good time. I listened to the audiobook and as per usual I loved Natalie Naudus as the narrator.

This is my second time reading McQuiston, and there are two things that stand out to me in their writing:

1. I enjoy their characters, who are fun and funny and full of life &
2. sometimes they tell too much and don’t show enough, and the book ends up longer than it needs to be. (okay, maybe that’s technically three things)

There is a lot to like with One Last Stop: it’s fun, funny, heartwarming, lively, and sweet. At times I wished the pace would pick up or wanted more intrigue, but overall I really enjoyed it! It’s probably closer to the 3.75 star realm, but I’ve rounded up.